Peyton Zaletsky, Arts & Technology Editor
@peytonzcourant
The thrill of getting ready for senior year is a feeling like no other. After waiting three years, Seniors are excited to buy a kiddie backpack, put on matching shirts, decorate cars, and walk into the front doors of NCHS, ready to enjoy their last year before graduation.
These fun Senior spirit activities have become traditions over the years, bringing some excitement and fun to the first week of school. But, what exactly are these spirit traditions, and are they a rite of passage for seniors?
One of the most popular senior traditions is car decorating, where students use colorful paint to draw and write messages on each others cars. Senior and Student Coalition Delegate, Emma Cody, played a huge role in organizing the grade-wide car decorating, and found it nice to be able to see everyone before the school year officially began. “I found car decorating so much fun and personal since I helped organize it,” she said. “It’s fun to write on your friends cars because you are able to relive your core high school memories and write a bunch of inside jokes that others wouldn’t understand.”
Aside from car decorating, every year the senior class designs matching t-shirts for the whole grade to wear. Emma Cody also helped to design the t-shirts, and although the process was overwhelming, she thinks that it ended up being a big success. “Choosing t-shirts was stressful and I was a part of the group organizing the ordering and wearing of them,” she said. “Everything ended up working out and was a ton of fun, so it was worth the confusing process.”
Many seniors also enjoy buying “little kid” backpacks as a way to return to their childhood selves before they officially enter the next stage of their lives. Senior Anna Barnard finds that buying kid backpacks are a funny way to look back on elementary school memories. “I think the ‘little kid’ backpacks are a really nice idea because they bring us back to our childhoods and give a full circle moment” she said.
Although these traditions are just for seniors, many students in lower grades enjoy getting to watch them take place, especially since they know they will eventually get to partake in them one day. Junior Tahela Denu, has already begun to make plans on how she will participate in these traditions . “Next year, I’ll probably get a bunch of silly pins or fabric stickers to put on my backpack,” she said. “I also think the senior cars are funny so if I have a car I definitely plan on decorating it.”
These traditions represent a big milestone, and some like to consider them a right of passage. Emma Cody finds that these traditions are like an initiation to becoming a senior. “These traditions are similar to a sports team initiation,” she said. “Seniors get to watch these traditions before experiencing them, and when it’s their turn it’s super fun to participate and take on the responsibility of being a senior.”
Although the majority of seniors take part in these traditions, not all participate. “I know from previous years and this year that not everyone takes part in these senior traditions,” Senior Bella Licata said. “People are able to take part in whatever they choose and you can make it as significant to you as you want, so I don’t necessarily think of them as a right of passage.”
Whether you participate or not, these fun spirit traditions always bring lots of excitement to the start of school year, regardless of what grade you are in. Many seniors, like Emma Cody, are excited to take part in more NCHS traditions as the year continues. “I think it will be a lot of fun if we do some other classic traditions like a pep rally, which many of the underclassman have never experienced, and hopefully a somewhat normal prom in the spring.” she said. “No matter what, it is going to be a great year.”
